Regular Season: Giants Lead Series 3-2
Approach to the Game – New York Giants at New England Patriots, September 26, 1999: Once again, this team seems to be at a crossroads. There have been many of those in the 1990’s. The team, and specifically the defense, laid down like dogs last week against the Redskins. Head Coach Jim Fassel and the players say the team has been very business-like and serious this week in practice. We’ll see. Much of this we’ve heard before. All that matters is winning. Winning cures a multitude of sins. Some may say this is a tough game for the Giants…playing a quality opponent on national television…yadda, yadda, yadda. I don’t give a crap. Win the ball game. The excuses from this team are wearing thin.
Giants on Offense: The Giants looked sharp on a few drives last week, but there continues to be far too many three-and-outs. The biggest concern right now is the absence of a crediable running game. All are to blame here v the backs, the offensive line, and the tight ends. HB LeShon Johnson fumbled again last week and aside from one run, HB Sean Bennett couldn’t get untracked. Until Gary Brown gets back (possibly next week), Fassel may turn to FB Charles Way to carry a heavier load. The Giants may use more one-back sets with him. Whoever carries the ball, the Giants have got to pick up more than 1 or 2 yards per carry. This is what is putting New York in these difficult 2nd- and 3rd-and-long situations. The Giants should be able to do some damage on the ground against New England by running the ball straight at them. Their defense is missing All-Pro MLB Ted Johnson and the right side of their defensive line is on the smaller side. The run blocking of LT Roman Oben and LG Luke Petitgout against DE Willie McGinnest and DT Henry Thomas will be decisive. If the Giants are in a one-back, then the tight ends will have to get into the act. When Bennett or Johnson are carrying the ball, Charles Way needs to make solid contact on the linebackers. DT Chad Eaton and DE Chris Sullivan are decent run-defenders, particularly Eaton. If RG Ron Stone can control him, the Giants also may be able to do damage running right. But the backs will have to be read their blocks correctly, get to the hole quickly, and be decisive.
One way to attack the Patriots too is to pass the ball against their linebackers. OLB’s Chris Slade and Ted Bruschi are a tad stiff in coverage. MLB Andy Katzenmoyer is rookie who you can confuse. Passes to TE Pete Mitchell and the running backs might prove productive. The guy who could put a crimp into the running attack and short passing game is SS Lawyer Milloy, one of the more underrated players in the league.
What the Giants desperately want to do is keep out of obvious passing situations. The Patriots have decent quickness in their front seven and guys like McGinnest, Thomas, and the linebackers can get after the quarterback. McGinnest, in particular, has been giving opponents problems. Bruschi also is a good pass rusher. If the Giants play a physical game up front and don’t make a lot of mistakes (something that has been a problem), the Giants might be able to grind the Pats down.
Kent Graham simply is not playing as well as he did in the preseason. He has not been bad, but he hasn’t been good either. Graham cannot afford to make too many mistakes like he did last week when he missed the wide open Ike Hilliard on a bootleg or when he threw that terrible interception that was returned for a TD on the screen pass. Part of the problem is that penalties have prevent Graham from getting into any kind of rhythm. Hopefully, the Giants will make fewer mental errors and Fassel will give him a game plan that will allow him to do so.
At one corner, the Patriots have the very talented Ty Law. He normally shuts down his man, though he had some problems with Marvin Harrison last week. The other corner, Steve Israel, is having a fine season so far, but he is not in the same league as Law. Amani Toomer or Ike Hilliard should be able to do some damage against him if Graham can get them the ball. FS Chris Carter is coming off a nice game where he had to picks, but he is an ordinary player. Really, Law and Milloy make up the strength of this secondary.
Giants on Defense: The Giants’ defense lost a great deal of respect around the league for their performance last week. Teams probably don’t fear them as much now. There is only one way to get that fear and intimidation back v earn it. The Giants must play physical and nasty on defense v but they also must play smart. New England knows the G-Men on defense have something to prove and they may try to use their aggression against them. Watch out for misdirection such as reverses and plays designed to slow the pass rush such as draws and screens.
The Giants will face a familiar face in Terry Allen, who ran very well last week. Allen is a no-nonsense north-south type runner. The same kind of back the Giants faced last week in Stephen Davis. The run defense, particularly on the right side of the defense, will have to be much stronger than it was last week. The Giants will face a decent offensive line that is a bit beat up right now. But with LT Bruce Armstrong on the left side and the Giants weakness defending the run over there, look for runs to the left over and over again. What it will come down to is whether or not the Giants’ front seven wants its more than their opponent. Last week the Giants didn’t.
DE Cedric Jones will face the very talented Armstrong. He is the best lineman the Pats have and Jones will have his work cut out for him. Inside, Max Lane may sub again for the injured Heath Irwin. Lane played decently last week, but has had his problems in the past. It is important for Keith Hamilton to be more of a factor against the pass and run against either one of these two. Same story with DT Robert Harris or DT Christian Peter against RG Todd Rucci. The defensive tackles and MLB Corey Widmer also must contend with rookie OC Damien Woody. On the left side, DE Michael Strahan has been strangely quiet thus far and needs to step up his game v even if it is against double-teams. That’s what he is being paid the big bucks for. He will face either RT Zefross Moss (who didn’t play last week due to injury) or his back-up Ed Ellis.
The Patriots have seen the game film from last week and will surely try to attack the Giants in many of the same ways as Washington did. They saw that Ryan Phillips had trouble in coverage as did the safeties in covering the tight end. New England has the best all-around tight end in the game in Ben Coates. He is a major factor in their passing attack and a security blanket for QB Drew Bledsoe. I would try to match-up Shaun Williams on him as much as I can, but in the base defense, SS Sam Garnes is going to have to play much better than he did last week. Same with MLB Corey Widmer and SSL Ryan Phillips in pass defense.
Defending against Bledsoe starts up front. Bledsoe, like all quarterbacks, does not like to get hit. The Giants’ defense is going to have to get after him and take him out of his rhythm. If he gets into it, he is exceptionally dangerous. But if you take him out of his game and hurt him, Drew can make some dumb plays. Of course, much depends on how well the cornerbacks and FS Percy Ellsworth play. WR Terry Glenn is finally healthy again and is lighting it up. He is a speedster with quick moves. He could give a 100% Jason Sehorn problems v like he did three years ago in the Meadowlands v with his quickness. Sehorn will be tested. He has not played football since the Vikings game two years ago and missed all of camp and the preseason. His instincts and reactions may be way off. WR Shawn Jefferson is a fast player and makes plays down the field. I think I might be more comfortable with Sehorn on him to start with. The Pats may also bring in four wide receivers quite a bit since the Giants are thin at cornerback. If they do, Jeremy Lincoln or Andre Weathers will have to play a lot better than they did last week.
We can talk about this match-up or that match-up. But what it really will come down to is how physical and how smart the Giants play on defense. Intensity and intelligence will win the game.
Giants on Special Teams: Blocking on kick returns and the kick return jobs put in by David Patten and Tiki Barber were impressive last week. Hopefully that continues. Returns on punts has been shaky still. The Giants simply are not getting the gunners blocked. Tiki also has to be much more decisive on his returns. Punt and kick coverage has been improved this year. Let’s hope it gets even better. Some of the hard work the Giants put forth in training camp is starting to show up here.